Phrase guide

love affair

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An affair; a usually adulterous relationship between people who are not married to each other.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was involved in a love affair with a married woman.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: affaire, liaison

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A feeling of enthusiasm or strong liking for something; a fondness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I've always had a love affair with stamps.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a relationship between two lovers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: romance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: relationship

Narrower terms: intrigue

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

91 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَلَاقَة غَرَامِيَّة (ʕalāqa ḡarāmiyya) — adulterous relationship
  • Belarusian: рама́н (ramán) — adulterous relationship
  • Belarusian: любо́ўная су́вязь (ljubównaja súvjazʹ) — adulterous relationship
  • Bulgarian: любо́вна връ́зка (ljubóvna vrǎ́zka) — adulterous relationship
  • Bulgarian: афе́ра (aféra) — adulterous relationship
  • Chinese Mandarin: 偷香竊玉 /偷香窃玉 (tōuxiāngqièyù) — adulterous relationship
  • Chinese Mandarin: 風流韻事 /风流韵事 (fēngliúyùnshì) — adulterous relationship
  • Chinese Mandarin: 外遇 (wàiyù) — adulterous relationship
  • Chinese Mandarin: 私情 (sīqíng) — adulterous relationship
  • Danish: kærlighedsaffære — adulterous relationship
  • Danish: affære — adulterous relationship
  • Esperanto: amafero — adulterous relationship
  • Esperanto: amaĵo — adulterous relationship
  • Esperanto: amintrigo — adulterous relationship
  • Estonian: armuafäär — adulterous relationship
  • Faroese: fjas — adulterous relationship
  • Finnish: rakkausseikkailu — adulterous relationship
  • Finnish: rakkausjuttu — adulterous relationship
  • Finnish: rakkaussuhde — adulterous relationship
  • French: aventure — adulterous relationship
  • French: liaison — adulterous relationship
  • German: Liebesabenteuer — adulterous relationship
  • German: Liebesaffäre — adulterous relationship
  • German: Liaison — adulterous relationship
  • German: Techtelmechtel — adulterous relationship
  • German: Seitensprung — adulterous relationship
  • German: Bettgeschichte — adulterous relationship
  • German: Liebschaft — adulterous relationship
  • German: Affäre — adulterous relationship
  • Greek: ερωτοδουλειά (erotodouleiá) — adulterous relationship
  • Hungarian: szerelmi viszony — adulterous relationship
  • Hungarian: szívügy — adulterous relationship
  • Icelandic: ástarævintýri — adulterous relationship
  • Italian: relazione amorosa — adulterous relationship
  • Italian: affare di cuore — adulterous relationship
  • Italian: tresca — adulterous relationship
  • Italian: legame sentimentale — adulterous relationship
  • Italian: storia — adulterous relationship
  • Italian: avventura — adulterous relationship
  • Japanese: 情事 (jōji) — adulterous relationship
  • Japanese: 色恋沙汰 (irokoizata) — adulterous relationship
  • Japanese: 色恋 (irokoi) — adulterous relationship
  • Japanese: ラブアフェア (rabu afea) — adulterous relationship
  • Japanese: 不倫 (furin) — adulterous relationship
  • Korean: 러브 어페어 (reobeu eopeeo) — adulterous relationship
  • Korean: 정사 (jeongsa) — adulterous relationship
  • Korean: 연애 사건 (yeonae sageon) — adulterous relationship
  • Korean: 련애 사건 (ryeonae sageon) — adulterous relationship
  • Korean: 불륜 (bullyun) — adulterous relationship
  • Latin: amōrēs — adulterous relationship
  • Latin: cōnsuētūdō — adulterous relationship
  • Latvian: attiecības — adulterous relationship
  • Lithuanian: meilės santykis — adulterous relationship
  • Macedonian: љубовна врска (ljubovna vrska) — adulterous relationship
  • Macedonian: афе́ра (aféra) — adulterous relationship
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kjærlighetsaffære — adulterous relationship
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kjærleiksaffære — adulterous relationship
  • Polish: romans — adulterous relationship
  • Portuguese: caso — adulterous relationship
  • Russian: рома́н (román) — adulterous relationship
  • Russian: любовное похожде́ние (ljubovnoje poxoždénije) — adulterous relationship
  • Russian: любо́вная интри́га (ljubóvnaja intríga) — adulterous relationship
  • Russian: любо́вная связь (ljubóvnaja svjazʹ) — adulterous relationship
  • Russian: шу́ры-му́ры (hanky-panky) — adulterous relationship
  • Russian: ша́шни (šášni) — adulterous relationship
  • Russian: аму́ры (amúry) — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: ligue — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: escarceo amoroso — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: aventura — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: devaneo — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: affaire — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: lío — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: rollo — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: idilio — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: romance — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: amorío — adulterous relationship
  • Spanish: embullo — adulterous relationship
  • Swedish: kärleksaffär — adulterous relationship
  • Swedish: affär — adulterous relationship
  • Swedish: förhållande — adulterous relationship
  • Ukrainian: рома́н (román) — adulterous relationship
  • Ukrainian: любо́вний зв'язо́к (ljubóvnyj zvʺjazók) — adulterous relationship
  • Chinese Mandarin: 喜愛 /喜爱 (xǐ'ài) — fondness
  • Finnish: rakkaussuhde — fondness
  • Hungarian: szívügy — fondness
  • Italian: passione — fondness
  • Italian: predisposizione — fondness
  • Malayalam: പ്രണയം (praṇayaṁ) — fondness
  • Polish: pasja — fondness
  • Russian: привя́занность (privjázannostʹ) — fondness
  • Russian: любо́вь (ljubóvʹ) — fondness